EU official calls for Albania, N.Macedonia member talks

BELGRADE, Serbia

An EU commissioner on Wednesday proposed to launch membership negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.

The current EU Commission, whose mandate is due by the end of October, focused on the reports of the Western Balkan countries as part of the 2019 Enlargement Package.

Johannes Hahn, the EU commissioner for European neighborhood and enlargement policy, said Albania's regional and judicial reforms have undergone a major transformation while North Macedonia has signed a historic agreement on resolving the name issue with its neighbor, Greece.

"In this context, the accession negotiations with the two countries should be initiated as soon as possible, " said Hahn.

According to the EU official, the countries of the region have made positive progress in the accession process.

Hahn, who is assessing the position of the Western Balkan countries in the EU accession process, said the Western Balkan countries should work more in order to improve the relations of reconciliation and neighboring in the future.

He underlined that measures on unemployment, low birth rates and migration should be taken.

Hahn said that Serbia and Montenegro, which are on the way to the EU membership, must also make progress in the area of ​​the rule of law.

"The dialogue process between Belgrade and Pristina should be continued and a stable environment should be created. Serbia and Kosovo should ignore provocations. Kosovo should cancel 100% customs duty on products originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia," said Hahn.

Meanwhile, Hahn said that Bosnia and Herzegovina, which expects to receive "candidate country" status, needs to implement reforms in many areas, and should establish the government as the first step.